Ferndale weighs Amazon drone noise response
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An Amazon Prime Air drone at the company's Pontiac delivery hub. Photo: Joe Guillen/Axios
Amazon delivery drones flying over Ferndale have prompted some noise complaints, leaving city officials to figure out how — or if — they can respond.
Why it matters: Ferndale's experience raises broader questions about local control over drone deliveries, an emerging technology whose airspace and flight operations are largely governed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
State of play: The suburb just north of 8 Mile Road has received about five documented complaints related to Amazon's drone deliveries, community and economic development director Ross Querro tells Axios.
- Most center on drone noise, while others concern how low and how frequently the aircraft fly over neighborhoods.
- City officials say discussion on social media has outpaced the number of formal complaints. They're reviewing whether local governments have tools to address residents' concerns.
What they're saying: "We are actively exploring what can be done," Querro says.
- The city is consulting with its legal team and ordinance committee and reviewing how other communities have handled similar concerns.
Zoom out: FAA rules largely govern drone operations, limiting what cities can regulate — a point Ferndale emphasized in its recent social media post and an FAQ.
Catch up quick: Amazon operates Prime Air drone delivery hubs in Hazel Park and Pontiac, allowing customers within a 7.5-mile radius to receive packages weighing up to 5 pounds by drone. Amazon says its Pontiac fleet of 14 drones averages more than 100 deliveries a day and aims to deliver orders within two hours.
- The Hazel Park and Pontiac facilities are Amazon's two Prime Air locations in Michigan.
Zoom in: Oak Park resident Elizabeth Gibbons, who frequently visits Ferndale, tells Axios she noticed the drones a few months ago after hearing "this loud buzzing noise" over her neighborhood.
- While she questions how widespread drone deliveries could become, her biggest concern is whether community values such as privacy and quality of life will keep pace as the technology expands.
The other side: Amazon says community response to Prime Air has been "overwhelmingly positive."
- The company says fewer than 1% of Prime Air customer service inquiries this year have been related to noise and that drones are audible from the ground for about 30 seconds as they pass overhead.
- Amazon says it works with local officials before and after launching in a community and continues improving each generation of drones to reduce noise.